Common Ground
by SomethinaboutMarco
Summary: Rose had a choice; It didn't take her long to decide.


A/N: I got this idea in the middle of class. Might as well try to incorporate it into the lore I'm creating. Hopefully it isn't too far-fetched, or complete trash.

. . . . . .

The Rebellion was on its last legs, and Rose was out of options.

Her Supply lines were cut.

Her troops were underequipped, with most new recruits poorly trained; too few veterans around to provide proper guidance.

Morale was low, leaving some to abandon the cause entirely, fleeing the planet in an effort to save themselves from a damning fate.

And to top it all off, Rose had to bubble one of her most competent warriors within the Rebellion; she was _not_ going to let a radical shatter fellow gems indiscriminately in the name of freedom.

That would make them just as bad as Homeworld, possibly worse.

Not to mention the propaganda the Diamonds would push out as a result.

Indeed, the situation for the Rebels was dire, and Rose was losing hope.

Imagine her surprise when an emissary claiming to be a representative of a long dead civilization requested an audience with her.

"I'm sorry," Rose questioned, shaking herself out of her stupor, "Could you please repeat yourself?"

The three-meter-tall creature filling her field tent smiled, and obliged the rebel leader's request.

"We, the conglomerated nations of the Free Galactic Federation, wish to extend our hand and offer aide to the Crystal Rebellion."

Rose couldn't believe her ears.

Quickly collecting herself, she promptly responded to the being's offer.

"You must understand my skepticism, Representative…...?" she trailed off, gauging the individual for a name.

"Ulysses, Ma'am." The emissary answered promptly.

A small smile formed on Rose's lips, "Representative Ulysses," she began, "Try to see it from my point of view. The movement I've started is slowly losing momentum, and the fighting force I've created is on the verge of collapse." She continued.

"Homeworld has made startling advances in the past three cycles, and our losses have been tremendous. I'm not entirely sure we can handle another offensive, in fact, I'm sure of it." She stops speaking, slowly formulating her next string of sentences.

Ulysses stands in front of her, quietly waiting for her to continue.

"And in our darkest hour, seemingly from the Void itself, _you_ show up at my door, claiming to be representing a people long since extinct. You arrived undetected, unannounced, and offering support that I can only dream of existing."

A small smile tugged at Ulysses lips, himself still remaining silent and watching the Rebel leader intently; calculating eyes never once moving from her form.

It _almost_ unnerved her.

"You have to admit; it seems almost too good to be true." She added with a slight chuckle, meeting the gaze of the enigma before her.

Ulysses allowed a small laugh of his own to escape his scarred lips.

Moving forward towards the holo-table, Ulysses seats himself in front of the rebel leader, sitting back into the metal chair that is far too small for his form.

"Of course, Lady Quartz, I understand your concerns." He states, shifting his body to better face the rebellious quartz gem. "I myself would be suspicious of _any_ being that offered support out of nowhere. I would suspect them to be a spy, or a plant at the very least, trying to poise themselves to strike from the inside."

He casually tosses one leg over the other in his seat, crossing his well-chiseled arms in front of him.

"Hell, I'd probably kill 'em right on the spot!" He laughed out, switching from his previously formal tone to a much more casual form of speaking. His eyes turn to his fingers, methodically picking at his chipped nails

Rose relaxes somewhat

"But" he continues, "As I can see, you don't have the luxury of suspicion right now, given your current position." He leveled his gaze back up at Rose, the look in his eyes hardening.

Rose stiffened, preparing herself for the worst. Ulysses continued, unhindered.

"My people fled into the black night of interstellar space, regrouping and reorganizing ourselves after the death of our home world." He pauses, gaze shifting past Rose, eyes lost in recollection.

"Eighty-one billion individuals, can you imagine? We hid for years, traversing the cold void of space, until finding refuge within the territory of the Galalunian Empire, our oldest and closest allies. Shit, I probably wouldn't be sitting here without their help" His gaze reverts back to Rose, eyes returning to their original cold stare.

"From there, we took our time, using our cold rage to rebuild and push past our previous advances. It took time, my God it took time, but finally, after countless years, we're finally ready to enact our retribution." He paused once more, allowing to the revelation he'd just disclosed sink into the pink gem.

Rose, to say the least, was absolutely floored.

They…the race the Authority had feared so…... the ones they had tried to erase from the annals of history…... the _Arcadians_ …... were alive.

And they were out for justice.

"So, _General_ Rose Quartz, you have two choices; leave yourself and the troops under your command to the 'mercy' of the Diamond Authority, or accept the Federation's offer."

He began to stand, stretching languidly as his form rose from his previously seated position.

"You may want to come to a decision quickly." he spoke with finality, "Time doesn't seem to be a commodity you can afford to lose."

Rose grimaced. Ulysses spoke the truth; if anything, she was out of time, and a solution to her problem was practically being handed to her on a silver platter.

It seemed too good to be true.

"I'm assuming you'll be wanting something in return?" She questioned, wary of the price that came with this sort of offer.

To her surprise, Ulysses smiled.

"The Federation asks for nothing in return; the defeat of Authority forces in this sector would be more than enough to cover the cost of aide."

Rose fought to keep her mouth from opening in shock.

It made no sense, none of it.

And yet, she had no other choice.

"Return to your superiors, inform them that I graciously accept their offer."

Ulysses smiled.

"Of course, General Quartz." He replied, "I assure you, you won't regret this decision."

He saluted her, and began to make his way out of the field tent.

"What kind of support should we be expecting?" Rose called behind him, her attention turned to the battle plans laid out before her.

Ulysses stopped at the flap of the tent, turning back ever so slightly, a small, knowing smile splayed on his lips.

A waited a moment, before answering her with a single word.

"Prometheans."

And with that, he left the pink gem in the tent, pondering what exactly she had gotten herself into.

. . . . . .

As the millennia passed, Rose would remember that meeting as the turning point in the war.

The Federation proved true to its word, resupplying and refitting the rebels with much needed supplies and equipment.

And the Prometheans…

Rose was convinced that they could have won the entire war on their own.

Nothing, in her long ageless existence, could have prepared her for the sheer _destruction_ the genetically modified warriors left in their wake.

It was stunning, incredible, and awe-inspiring.

And there were only three.

Three warriors helped turn the tide of the war.

And one of them was Ulysses.

Victory came at a cost of course, with only three gems left uncorrupted after the Authority's final attack.

Rose was bittersweet.

The Federation had decided to leave the planet under the protection of Crystal Gems, as it would be several millennia before Homeworld could even dare _think_ about return.

The three titan's they had so graciously gifted to the Rebellion were called upon to return; the Federation's war with the Diamond Authority was just beginning, and the Prometheans were needed elsewhere.

Meeting with Rose one final time, Ulysses questioned her about the Pearl that had survived along with her; where she came from, and, more specifically, _who_ she served.

Her answer left him stoned faced, barely contained rage burning behind his eyes.

However, he only nodded, saying he would address the issue at a better time; the recent conflict being too fresh in the minds of the survivors.

Wounds too new and too numerous to cut deeper.

Before leaving, Ulysses handed Rose a small beacon.

"If you ever need assistance, activate it, I'll be here as fast as I can." He grinned.

Rose held the small metallic sphere gently, a small smile gracing her lips.

"Why did you do it?" she asked, "Why fight with us?"

Ulysses' grin only grew broader.

He embraced Rose, and answered in a hushed tone only the two of them could hear.

. . . . .

As Ulysses ship shot into the upper atmosphere, Rose laughed at the words her battle-born companion had left her with.

" _The enemy of my enemy, is my friend."_

Hopefully, she would never have to use the long-range signal.

But, _if_ the situation would ever arise…

Rose knew exactly where she would store it.

. . . . .

So there you have it. This may be complete clichéd trash for all I know, and it probably is, but I enjoyed writing it, so c'est la vie eh? Also, I'm in the market for a beta reader, message me if anyone is interested in pre-reading this crap. Criticism and commentary welcome, it helps me better my shitty writing.

Thanks boi's


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